Just as COVID got into full swing, we got Bagheera on the last container out of Uruguay, and we luckily made one of the last flights out too. We were planning on spending a couple more weeks in Argentina with our friends, but the borders closed around us and 24hrs (and so many phone calls with the airlines later) we were on a 747 with about 15 other people, headed to Miami… We would spend about a month and a half waiting for the van to arrive in Texas while visiting our families and figuring out what this new world of “The Pandemic” would look like. When Bagheera finally got to port, we met Tyler in Houston to unload and start our trip back to B.C. This time across would focus on South Dakota — SoDak — but like any of our trips, we bounced around a bit..
And just like that… Bagheera was off the boat, we did some much needed maintenance, visited the families, and were crossing the border into South Dakota, and our first stop Sioux Falls.
The first couple days, we spent following Hwy 90, checking out the many wonders of South Dakota — like the World’s Only Corn Palace…
Getting closer to the Badlands, we camped about an hour from Wall Drug — we just had to know, and the stickers alone were worth it.
After touring across the flats of Eastern South Dakota, we finally made it to the Badlands — after a prerequisite stop at Wall Drug of course, if you know, you know…
The next major area on our list was Rapid City. Aside from a really cool name, it’s the gateway to Custer State Park, an area full of all the famous things like presidential carvings, but also tons of excellent rock climbing and hiking.
Black Elk Peak
Cathedral Spires
Buffalo Hole Rock, near Custer
Crow Peak and Spearfish (“sper fesh”)
The map is labeled ‘SoDak and friends’ because, as per normal, we were lured back into Wyoming and some other states. One night we camped on a FSR leading to a hike, and in the morning, we realized we were actually in Wyoming… This, and our couple hour conversation with Charles (pictured above) about the history of the area, lead us down the rabbit hole of fire lookouts and the possibilities of North Dakota. But the pull of Wyoming is always bit too strong, so the first spot on our list was Devil’s Tower as we’ve never been to the North East corner of Wyoming to see this wild formation.
And it just so happened to be the 4th of July, so we found a nice spot for the fireworks…
Crazy Woman Canyon, Bighorn Mountains
Into the Wind River Range
Cirque of the Towers, Wind River Range
And what would a trip to Wyoming be without a stop in Jackson Hole…
Plus we got a great look at the Neowise Comet discovered March of 2020!
Since we’ve done a fair bit of hiking and climbing in Jackson Hole, and since the area in general was a bit crowded for our comfort, we decided to check out the trail to Jackson Peak (Gros Ventre)
And with such crowds in the Tetons, we figured when you’re that close to Idaho… Might as well go hike to some pretty lakes…
Sawtooth Lake, near Stanley, ID
Near Stanley, ID
Born Lakes, ID
Then just as we decided it was about time to head back to B.C. and deal with the fact that the Pandemic wasn’t going anywhere, some opportunities came up and some quick decisions were made. Candice would join two friends driving across country to go home for a good friends wedding. I would slowly make my way to Denver by a week later to pick her up from the airport afterward.
All was going as planned, and we would be on our way back to B.C. in no time… Until we got a call from our friends Dirt Sunrise, and were offered a job mapping roads on BLM land. That just sounded too cool to pass up, so I picked up Candice in Denver, we visited Meaghan and Tyler for a few days, and met Kathryn and Otello on their drive back for a couple days of camping. Then we got ready for some bumpy work. Our weekdays were packed with mapping in the heat, beating the hell out of the Delica, and our weekends were full of van maintenance and hiking in the surrounding areas of Colorado, Wyoming and Montana.
Medicine Bow Peak, Wyoming
Herd of Elk, BLM
Then there was snow. Mapping couldn’t continue for us for the season, so it was definitely time to point North. A quick stop in Missoula to visit Brandon, Grace and let Teddy teach us how to find the right berries, and we were in Big White and a quarantine.
